Conciergerie, Paris, Guida per visitatori e cosa fare nei dintorni

The Conciergerie is a medieval royal palace on the Île de la Cité in Paris, later turned into a courthouse and prison. It is best known as the place where Queen Marie-Antoinette was held in 1793 before her execution, during the French Revolution.

The story behind it

The Conciergerie is what remains of the old royal palace on the Île de la Cité. Its great halls date from the Middle Ages: the Salle des Gardes and the vast Salle des Gens d'armes were built under Philip the Fair, and the kitchens were added under John the Good. At the end of the 14th century the kings of France moved to the Louvre and Vincennes. The old palace became a seat of justice, and part of it was turned into prison cells.

During the Revolution, the building became one of the main places of detention in Paris, serving the Revolutionary Court. Its most famous prisoner was Marie-Antoinette, who was held here before she was tried and taken to the guillotine at what is now Place de la Concorde. After the monarchy returned, a memorial chapel was built on the site of her cell.

What to look for

• The clock on the Tour de l'Horloge, at the corner of Boulevard du Palais and the riverside quay, is often described as the first public clock in Paris and was put up in the 14th century.
• The dark towers along the Quai de l'Horloge show how much of the palace's medieval outline still stands beside the Seine.
• Inside, the Salle des Gens d'armes is a huge vaulted hall, and its scale gives a real sense of the royal palace that stood here.
• The memorial chapel on the site of Marie-Antoinette's cell is a quiet, small space that marks the most famous chapter of the building's time as a prison.

Tips for your visit

• Allow about an hour if you go inside, and less if you only want to see the exterior and the clock tower from the street.
• Check current opening hours and ticket arrangements before you go, as they change through the year.
• Sainte-Chapelle stands within the same complex of buildings, and Notre-Dame, Pont Neuf and the flower and bird markets of the island are all a short walk away.
• Early morning or late afternoon is a pleasant time to walk the quay and see the towers in softer light and with fewer people.

See it on a quest

Mysterious Paris: The Order of the Knights Templar brings you to the Conciergerie on foot as one stop of a longer route through the old heart of the city. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle in what is in front of you, so you look closely at the buildings. One ticket covers the whole group.

Romantic Paris: A Forbidden Love Adventure along the Seine passes the Conciergerie as part of a walk beside the river. You read about the palace on the spot, solve a puzzle at the place itself, and then move on to the next stop. One ticket covers the whole group.